State lines

The portal uses ArcIMS server software from ESRI of Redlands, Calif., as well as an ArcSDE gateway to an Oracle Corp. database, said Brian Embley, a specialist with the state's Office of Geographic Information Systems.

Citizens can set up their own password-protected accounts to customize the data, Embley said, and state agencies can do the same to protect sensitive data from public access. For example, some agencies will set aside a secure section of the portal to show emergency responders the locations of critical infrastructure.'That's something that would be very expensive for the state to reproduce,' Embley said of the detailed county-level information.

Once technical details are hammered out, the coordinators of the federal Geospatial One-Stop portal will use NJGIN as a pilot for data sharing, Embley said.

Alabama e-filing. The Alabama Department of Revenue last month launched an electronic tax filing service that is mandatory for 10 of the state's 44 taxes.

Donald Graham, manager of the Special Projects Unit in ADOR's Sales and Business Tax Division, said the state hired GovConnect of Cincinnati to provide the system. GovConnect is a subsidiary of First Data Corp. of Denver.

The project cost the state less than $2 million, Graham said.

'The cost savings are the primary benefit,' he said. 'We are looking to save up to $1 million a year' by adopting a compulsory electronic system.

'We just implemented it Oct. 1,' Graham said. 'We have had several hundred filers so far.'

Permit app. Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections has awarded Hansen Information Technologies Inc. a $3 million contract for a building permit and code enforcement application.

Hansen will provide the application for the city's building permit processing and will coordinate plan review and approval methods.

The department processes more than 40,000 applications annually for building permits, health and sanitation inspections, business and other types of licenses, and code enforcement fines.

The project includes implementation of Hansen's Web portal, where citizens and businesses will apply online for permits and licenses.

Hansen also will offer software licensing for 150 handheld computers. The software will let field crews and other remote users send and receive work requests, violations, fee adjustments and other work assignments. It will shorten processing time for inspections and approvals, the company said.